China and South Korea criticized Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for defending his visit to a controversial shrine last December. Abe, while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, justified his visit to the Yasukuni Shrine that commemorates wartime dead in Japan, including several Class A war criminals. The visit has further strained Japan’s relations with both countries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang, however, saw the shrine as something else – a memorial to the “Nazis” of Asia. Speaking to the press, he said, “The Yasukuni Shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japan’s militarism.” Choi Tai Young, South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson seconded saying, “I have repeatedly mentioned here about what kind of facility the Yasukuni Shrine is.” Further stating that, “It’s totally contradictory to talk about forging friendly ties with South Korea while continuing visits to the shrine.” Both countries believe that the shrine symbolizes Japan’s past military aggression during World War II, and Abe’s visit shows indifference towards his neighbors. Abe, on the other hand, maintains that there is “tremendous misunderstanding” over his visit, as it was done to pledge “an oath never to wage war again,” while repeatedly calling for restraint for “military expansion in Asia.”

Both Foreign Ministry representatives remain doubtful of the genuineness of Abe’s pledge. Qin lambasted Abe on his actions, which show an unapologetic stance over Japan’s past military aggression. He said that, “only by implementing the spirit of the Murayama statement, Japan can win the trust of other countries.” He continued to predict that “if Japanese leaders act willfully in the wrong way, Japan will be directed on the path of harming Asia, the world and Japan itself.” Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama issued the famous statement on August 15, 1995 as a public apology for his nation’s past militarism and colonial rule. “Japanese political leaders, including the prime minister, should not visit the Yasukuni Shrine, and that’s the starting point for friendly relations between South Korea and Japan and for stability in the region,” said Cho.

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sachi hirayama

Why Japanese visit Yasukuni Shrine.

Dick-AlmightT

You are glossing over the crux on issue: Yasukuni contains 14 class A war criminals who were enshrined as 昭和殉難者 in the late 70s, including those who were found guilty of waging unprovoked war against the Republic of China. No one is against honoring war dead per se. And the idea that all Japanese are rational about these things? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZHwZhNUX50#t=288.

sachi hirayama

Thank you for your comment. The reason why I made this video message is to ask for the understanding for Yasukuni Shrine, and I am glad to hear that you are not against honoring war dead.
I will try to explain about Class A, Class B and Class C. There is no rank among three classes, but many people only focus on Class A, so there must be some misunderstanding.

James Tam

By comparing China and Japan relationship with that of England and Germany before World War I, Abe totally ignored the status of Japan before WWII. Japan before WWII was exactly in the same situation as Germany before WWI and WWII, trying to change the status quo of the world. Japan was being retrained by the World after WWII and wanted to loosen those retrains such that it could become a world power again military wise. Meanwhile, the United States wishes to use Japan as a pawn in South East Asia and illicitly allows Abe to act irresponsibly. Did US forget about Pearl Harbor? No, of course. It is a temporary convenient arrangement. With US’s 40,000 military in Japan, Abe is going crazy and wants them out. Another angle in explaining Abe’s action is that Abe could be a religious person to the point of being superstitious. China before WWII was shaped like a leaf on the Map but changed to the shape of a Rooster after outer Mongolia became independent, thanks to Japan. Japan is still shaped like Japan. It is Abe’s worst nightmare and he needed spirtual guidiance from the glory past before the defeat of Japan in WWII. The people of Japan had been kind of brainwashed with his rhetoric and the mis-interpretation of history by this administration. But, Japanese people are not dumb. The rhetoric may cloud them for a while, but they will see through him. So would the US. Let’s see. If Japan goes to war with China, what would US do? Fight or get out, Abe probably predicted. Fight is Ok, Get out is better. That would be Abe’s goal. The ball is in US’s court.

Ngocdownunder

You have missed the points. The points from Abe was even economic tied between two countries this would not stop the war to happen if both countries were continue to hostile each others as we have seen in the past Eng & Germany. And I must agree with Abe on this point as I have seen CN is the main root caused for many issues in East JP, South CN Sea, Central Asia and the India border.

CN keeps criticizing JP in WW II, but CN has never mentioned what they did to VN and others neighbors for thousand of years because what CN did was exactly what JP did to them but only in 5 years. Hnm, if you really do the calculation you should see a 5 years is nothing when comparing to 1000 years. Vietnamese people will never forget what CN did to them in 1000 years but they have forgiven and seen it as “whatever in the past should be left to the past”. In the other hand, CN gets upset with JP is not about what JP did to CN but about the shame of a big country that was being defeated by a little country on its own land and sea (in the history, many times VN had defeated CN in the battles to keep it independent from CN, but those battles were on VN land and sea).

“allows Abe to act irresponsibly…” this is a laughable. In fact Abe is more responsible to his country and the region if not the world than what CN current does. For expansion, CN has currently lead its people to war, not only with JP but VN, Phil, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunie, South Korea, India, Central Asia and even with Russia. This is one of the crazy move from CN.

James Tam

China is not perfect. Given the chance perhaps with a aggressive leader, it would do what you stated. However, except for the Yuan Dynasty when China was ruled by the Mongolian, China was busy worrying about its own internal affairs and did not have the opportunity to do what you stated. Yes, the Mongolian did attempt to invade Japan and was defeated by nature; a typoon to be exact. Otherwise, why else would China build the Great Wall. China when properous had enemies all round it trying to take a share of its productivities. Before WWI, China was under the rule of a corrupted Qing Dynasty and was decimated by Japan and almost everyone on earth. In 1900, 8 countries joint forces to invade China because of the reform movement leading to eventual revolt. Prior to that, England was the culpit forcing China to accept the opium leading to the Opium War in 1841 which of course China lost and with it Hong Kong. In 1895 the Sino-Japan War caused China to lose the Diaoyu Islands. Yes, China has a lot of countries surrouding it, and China would not fall back to the stage of being a weaking and allow Japan or any other countries to push it around. Review your history, Vietnam would not be what it is without the help of China. It was a French colony before WWII and was invaded by Japan during WWII given Japan the blabbing right to say it liberated Vietnam from the French. France withdrawn from Vietnam in about 1956 leaving Ho Chi Minh in the North and American trained Vietnamese in the South. In 1961 US began bombing the North with Agent Orange and the rest is History. The North finally with the help of China and Russia, united the country in 1975. Just ask yourself, would Ho Chi Minh be able to defeat the United States without someone behind and supporting him? We can go on and on. But, review the history first would be a good start.

Ngocdownunder

Since you seem to know the history, you should see what CN did to VN for 1000 yrs: how many Vietnamese were killed? France was not just simply withdrew from VN, it was defeated by VN. Agreed CN and Russia were supporting HCM, but CN was doing for its own benefit “to keep VN as a buffer” and so Russia. If CN or Russia weren’t helping HCM then I am sure Paracels or Spratly would still under VN administrative.

“In 1895 the Sino-Japan War caused China to lose the Diaoyu Islands”. Really? Is it what you have been taught in CN? LOL.

Yes, we should review the history but which history? CN history is a selected history, quite often CN is only picking a period in its 5 thousand years history and ignoring the rest thus CN history can not be trusted.

James Tam

You may not like what I said. The fact is, all Asian are basically originated from the same ancestors. In another words, China, Thailand, Vietnam even Japan were brothers and sisters once upon a time. Instead of stabbing each other, we should get together and figure out what is best for all of us.

Ngocdownunder

“get together and figure out what is best for all”, agreed. But how since there is a big bully guy always wants everything from North to South, from East to West? LOL

Zhijian Xi

You’ve assigned all the blame to one side, was Japan completely innocent? Why would your ally criticize you if that’s the case.

Victor Wang

The core of the problem has never been the nature of the shrine itself as it could differ to any individual… It’s been all about how these politicians from all concerned nations manipulate the issue of Japan’s WWII aggression. Shame on these people…

It_is_true?

Koreans has no right to request any thing from Japanese people. Koreans has massacred and raped Vietnamese people and never apologize for it. Instead they celebrate. Vietnamese never do any harm to the Korean people in the history. Koreans requested something what they can deliver.

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